Grapes donates $5,000 to Durham Cancer Centre

Don Cherry brings fight against cancer to Durham

Hockey icon Don Cherry shared behind-the-scenes stories with local developers in a fundraising luncheon benefitting the Durham Cancer Centre. The Coach's Corner host spoke at the third annual Building Industry for Cancer Cure and Care Luncheon at the Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility on Audley Road in Ajax Tuesday. The event was sponsored by Tribute Communities and organized in partnership with the Oshawa Hospital Foundation.

Don Cherry

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

AJAX -- Don Cherry, hockey icon and commentator for CBC TV, spoke during the third annual Building Industry for Cancer Cure and Care Luncheon hosted by Tribute Communities and the Oshawa Hospital Foundation at Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility November 6. November 6, 2012.

Don Cherry

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

AJAX -- Don Cherry, hockey icon and commentator for CBC TV, spoke during the third annual Building Industry for Cancer Cure and Care Luncheon hosted by Tribute Communities and the Oshawa Hospital Foundation at Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility November 6. November 6, 2012.

Don Cherry

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

AJAX -- Don Cherry, hockey icon and commentator for CBC TV, spoke during the third annual Building Industry for Cancer Cure and Care Luncheon hosted by Tribute Communities and the Oshawa Hospital Foundation at Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility November 6. November 6, 2012.

Don Cherry

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

AJAX -- Don Cherry, hockey icon and commentator for CBC TV, spoke during the third annual Building Industry for Cancer Cure and Care Luncheon hosted by Tribute Communities and the Oshawa Hospital Foundation at Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility November 6. November 6, 2012.

Don Cherry

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

AJAX -- Don Cherry, hockey icon and commentator for CBC TV, spoke during the third annual Building Industry for Cancer Cure and Care Luncheon hosted by Tribute Communities and the Oshawa Hospital Foundation at Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility November 6. November 6, 2012.

The Coach's Corner host spoke at the third annual Building Industry for Cancer Cure and Care Luncheon at the Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility on Audley Road in Ajax Tuesday. The event was sponsored by Tribute Communities and organized in partnership with the Oshawa Hospital Foundation.

Mr. Cherry wore one of his trademark flashy outfits, sporting a shimmering royal blue jacket and a matching tie and delivered an off-the-cuff speech with his usual gruff enthusiasm. He spoke in front of three flags -- the Canadian flag, a Toronto Maple Leafs flag and a Boston Bruins flag -- and told several anecdotes about his time as a player, coach and hockey commentator.

Mr. Cherry got the crowd laughing with one particular story about his dog Blue, on whose behalf Mr. Cherry would make hockey predictions.

Don is Don, he comes out and says what he means. J

He recalled one instance when Blue bit his daughter Cindy. He spoke to hockey great Bobby Orr about the issue, and Mr. Orr told him he needed to get rid of her.

"Yeah, but I like Cindy, I tell you that," he responded.

Suffice it to say, both the daughter and the dog stayed.

In fact, several of the stories focused on Mr. Orr. Mr. Cherry was the coach for Mr. Orr's last 93 games with the Boston Bruins. He said it still chokes him up that Mr. Orr only played until he was 28.

"This will prove he's the greatest player who ever lived," said Mr. Cherry, before playing a video of Bobby Orr highlights created by Mr. Cherry's son.

Before ending his speech, Mr. Cherry took questions from the audience. One man wanted to know his thoughts on the NHL lockout. The crux of the dispute is what percentage of revenues will go to the players.

"There's no way the players are going to win, you're not going to beat these guys," said Mr. Cherry of the owners. "These guys, hockey is a toy to them."

He predicted players will get about 52 per cent when the dispute was settled.

"I'm never wrong," he joked.

That being said, Mr. Cherry said he tries to stay down to earth and recounted one story of how his ego was kept in check. He was at the airport and there were folks in the line with him who clearly recognized him from television. One woman in particular identified him as a CBC personality.

"She looked right at me and said, 'he's the Friendly Giant'."

At the end of his speech, Mr. Cherry announced he was chipping in $5,000 to the cause, earning a standing ovation from the crowd. With his donation, the event raised $226,000, said Regional Chairman Roger Anderson, who co-chaired the event with Al Libfeld, president and CEO of Tribute Communities.

"I thought it was good for an off-the-cuff speech," said Whitby resident Colin Eden, following the talk.

"Don is Don, he comes out and says what he means," said Jim Gardner, also of Whitby, who added he enjoyed the stories about Bobby Orr. "We all know he was the greatest hockey player, but a lot of people don't realize how young he was when he stopped playing."

Oshawa Hospital Foundation CEO Bob Baker said the builders' luncheon was one of the top three external fundraisers for the foundation. Last year the luncheon featured Jean Chretien.

"We're extremely thrilled that Tribute Homes has stepped up for three years running now and raised a significant amount of money for our cancer centre," said Mr. Baker.

Reporter Reka Szekely covers the City of Oshawa for Metroland Media Group’s Durham Region Division. Reka's social media column appears every other week. Contact her on Facebook, Twitter (@rszekely)